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Am I a Feminist? Are you?

Am I a Feminist? Are You?

Everyone claims to be a feminist these days, but what is a feminist? Continue reading »

Conversation before a hanging

Conversation Before a Hanging

William Joyce, known as “Lord Haw-Haw” was the last man to be hanged by the British Crown for High Treason, because he had been a notorious broadcaster for the Nazi Germany during World War II. Born in America, he grew up in the West of Ireland, and his grave is now at Bohermore Cemetery, Galway. Continue reading »


Germany Calling

Germany Calling

William Joyce, who came to be immortalised as “Lord Haw-Haw” was born in America of English-Irish parents, grew up in Galway in the West of Ireland, became a fierce British patriot when he came to England and then embraced Nazi Germany in 1939. His sense of national allegiance was a little crazy and mixed-up, to say the least. Continue reading »


Allegiance

Allegiance

A play about Michael Collins and Winston Churchill Background & Context In 1921, the Irish rebel leader Michael Collins was ordered to travel to London – with Arthur Griffith and the Irish delegation – to negotiate the Anglo-Irish Treaty which followed the Truce and the War of Independence. Collins loathed the assignment and protested vehemently: … Continue reading »

7 thoughts on “Home”

  1. Dear Mary

    I very much enjoyed reading something of myself… Particularly the section on reluctant carer. Why oh why do you not write about kicking de happy sauce????

    Mary M

  2. loved your article in irish independent magazine about religious education. agree with every word. keep up the good work. love your picture in irish indendent magazine from Blanaid Owens

  3. Having just read your article in the Mail today how I empathize with you. I am 62 and live in Spain and have been a full time carer to my husband since 2009 – he is 77.He has cardiac failure and lung problems and cannot walk at all. I completely understand what you are saying it is a very hard life. My situation is complicated as I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and secondary bone cancer in 2012 at the moment I am responding to treatment but my general prognosis is not good! However, at the moment I am relitavely fit and want to be”out there” doing all the things I want to do but of course that is impossible. I love my husband but find life very difficult and frustrating. Social services here are NOT good so I just plod on but this is not how I thought my life would be….hope you receive this and thank you for your honesty!
    Best wishes
    Sue

  4. Fr Kevin Cummins. Very difficult to contact you.. You .are invited to my 50 years a Priest. Ballinasloe May 24. 12.15 Mass. Meal Gullanes.And here in Wrekenton Gateshead June 12 7pm Mass , bun fight in st Oswalds scool afterward. June 12 is my actual Anniversary.. Hope you can come to at least one of the celebrations. Lots of Kellys in Ballinasloe. Hope you get this. Your Mam Ita & my Mam Ethna 1st cousins. Knew your Uncle Jim very well.Need your address please
    Your second cousin Father Kevin Cummins. PP St Oswalds Wrekenton, Gateshead NE9 7JQ. 01914876227. o7720904041

  5. Greetings: Here is the text of a letter I wrote to the Irish Indo after I saw your recent article. I am afraid they didn’t see fit to publish it.

    …I support Mary Kenny in her complaint about the failure of INIS/ Passport Control at our airports to acknowledge that Irish people entering the country are coming home, regardless of whether they have been away for days or decades. There is another aspect in which Irish entry procedures are carried out in a graceless and clumsy manner. I refer to the Landing Card which citizens of countries outside the EU must fill in. This card is deplorably designed. It carries no hint of who issued it—no reference whatsoever to the Irish State, the Dept. of Justice or anyone else. No explanation is offered as to why the details are asked of visitors, or what will be done with them. No Harp or other national symbol to remind the visitor that s/he is entering a country with its own traditions and culture. No “Welcome to Ireland”—in fact no reference whatsoever to Ireland! Apart from English, the card carries text in French, Italian and German. French speakers from Africa or Canada may be entering Ireland, and therefore need to fill in the Card, but it is hard to think of any German or Italian speakers who are not EU citizens. So what is the purpose of having these two languages on the card? German and Italian are there, but Spanish isn’t, even though there are several hundreds of millions of Spanish-speakers who are not EU citizens. And speaking of languages, how come there isn’t even one word of Irish? Not a “Fáilte go hÉirinn” for Irish speakers, but for the rest of the world, as a statement that this nation possesses its own ancient language and is proud of that fact. All in all, the Irish landing card is something that Ireland—and especially Minister for Justice Fitzgerald–should be ashamed of….

  6. OK Mary, tell us about the scandal of Dr Moira Woods with Dr Bobby Woods and Bobby Woods wife Peggie. Rumor has it that Bobby Woods first wife committed suicide because of his affair with Dr Moira Woods nee Fann.

  7. Hello Mary,
    I read with interest your article on the Irish Independent today about Terry Wogan. As a 63 year old Limerick man the first thing I thought about when I heard he had died was the the contribution he made in partly overcoming the anti-Irish sentiment which (in my opinion) understandably abounded in England during the IRA campaign.

    I remember during those years feeling thoroughly ashamed of the events perprutrated supposadly in our name by the IRA.

    I also recall thinking at that time that the affection held by the British public for Terry was a major factor in formulating a more balanced view towards the Irish.

    When I read the various obituries (particularly from our Taoiseach and President) I couldn’t understand how no one was highlighting what I regard was his greatest contribution.

    You put that right, I’m very grateful to you.

    Many Thanks,

    Liam O’Connell

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